Following recent topics about rules and Towbars etc. mine failed yesterday (first failure in 3 years) corrosion within 30cm of the towbar. He said new rules this year mean they are tighter on towbars etc. So I will need to take the towbar off and do some patching on the rails. Bit of a pain, since weather has changed and I cant drop everything to weld it so might have to get it done at a garage instead(reluctantly) but please go and double check your towbars and surrounding metalwork. Eventually they will price us off the roads and expect full body restos to keep them on the road , but either way if you do intend to tow something in your 40 year old bus ensure it is all safe and secure.
I was looking at mine the other day - there is some corrosion on the rear valance - I'm happy to lose the towbar though - I doubt I'd use it and it's more weight being dragged about so I think it will be off to get welding done on rear valance area and not put back
Be aware sorting a little bit of welding on the back end for the bumper/tow bar mounts can rapidly increase into more work Take a look at my resto thread to see what paul weedings had to do when he started to fix a bolt hole with a snapped bolt and one bolt hole that was plated over Sorry to hear about the fail dude but if your going to tow its best that the back end is solid
Actually no he is a good guy , very reasonable and trustworthy only MOT guy I know that is, in fact I should recommend his MOT station on here. If he says he needs it then I trust him. Yes I totally agree Paradox, bottom line my van is for daily use and family holidays and I have to ensure its safe. Last thing I need is a trailer with my Beetle falling off Keyston cops Stylie! I tend to over engineer my repairs probably adding more weight to the van but I like a bit extra!
There is a point between safety and a point between being reasonable, I honestly think in a few years time they will price us off the roads with regulations, treating our vehicles like modern vehicles. Almost enough to go and buy a new T5 every 3 years!! hahaha
That is something you can do. We failed 2 for corrosion around the tow bar. One said remove it. The other had it repaired. I'm all for stricter rules. Some cars (not just VW's) that we see are just awful or badly repaired or someone's turned a blind eye to various bits. And then there is various suspension mods. And then there are...............
You'll find many vehicles that are MOT exempt are still required to be certified as fit for the road by the insurance company. What's the cheapest way to certify it's fit for the road? Yep, you guessed it, an MOT.....
Had a proper look tonight after work and before it went pitch black. Its no where near as bad as it says on the advisory sheet. Its all just a handful of patches here and there, nothing really big. The towbar bit is fair enough actually. The U shaped piece at the back which helps to make up the area near the engine mount bar, has a crack. The tow bar nearby has to unbolt yo fix this properly and a part of the rear valance also has a speed hole! Again nothing too desperate, not after seeing some of the resto pictures on here! Thank you 18 previous owners, you kept my bus alive the past 40 years. Off to see a man about some welding tomorrow, no time to do it myself (wow first time in 20 years I am asking about welding at a garage!!) Feeling a lot more positive now if a little annoyed with myself not spotting some of this, too busy trying to sell the house!
Forgot to say, the new rule about no MOT required on cars before 1960 is the worse thing anyone can do! I for one would not buy such a car unless it had an MOT cert at least.
Thing is, what might seem strict to you, is the garage following the letter of legislation set by VOSA... And TBH I don't blame them!! My local place gets inspected by VOSA like every other month... They have mobile units that cover an area, and they will stop in and do spot checks... they'll even make the garage get cars back in that they've tested that day to check cars that have had MOTs issued to them.. So on that note, you can see why garages are less likely to give you a MOT and tell you to get it fixed asap on a little thing!!
Exactly mate. Lets hope the bad old days of dodgey garages are on their way out? Remember why you have MOT's? To stop people being killed by driving death traps!
I remember leaving one of my local garages who passed me and went to beep to thank the mechanic and horn didn't work.
That is exactly why Mark and Pete are strict. We have the man from the ministry pop in every now and then. You have to remember this is someones livelihood and it's a regulated job. As a qualified nurse l have to abide by the rules of the NMC. Mess it up and you have to go through a lot to prove you are fit to practice. Even if l didn't work at the garage l would be more than happy for Mark and Pete to test my cars and fail them on whatever is needed. l like my fleet to be "just so". And just because l work in a garage, don't think we staff are exempt from the odd fail in our MOT's. The Ragtop failed this week.
